University of Georgia Athletics
Saturday, April 20
Athens, Ga.
12 p.m.
University of Georgia
32-14, 6-10
6
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2
Tennessee
33-9, 10-6
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7
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H
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Tennessee
0
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7
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Georgia
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X
6
8
1
Photo by: Kristin M. Bradshaw
#16 Bulldogs Split Twin Bill with Lady Vols, 6-2, 6-7
April 20, 2019 | Softball
ATHENS, Ga. – The 16th-ranked Georgia softball team opened its series with #8 Tennessee Saturday with a doubleheader at Jack Turner Stadium. The Bulldogs were victorious in game one, 6-2. A comeback in the night cap fell short, splitting the doubleheader, 7-6.
Ciara Bryan tallied four hits on the day while Alysen Febrey and Alyssa DiCarlo each scattered three in the twin bill.
Georgia 6, Tennessee 2
The Bulldogs opened Saturday's doubleheader with a 6-2 victory over the Lady Vols. It was Georgia's fifth-straight win over Tennessee. The win was also Lu Harris-Champer's 300th-career Southeastern Conference win, the second-most in SEC softball history behind Alabama's Patrick Murphy.
Alley Cutting (8-4) pitched five and a third innings in her win in the circle, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out three batters. Kylie Bass picked up her first save of the season, finishing the game and working one and two-thirds innings.
At the plate, Georgia outhit Tennessee 8-7. A trio of Bulldogs recorded two hits including Justice Milz, Bryan, and Febrey. Bryan recorded two RBI with a triple in the sixth inning.
Febreyled off the bottom of the second with a double down the right field line then was bunted to third by Mahlena O'Neal. Savana Sikesdrove in Febrey with a single to left, giving Georgia a 1-0 lead.
The bottom of third inning began with back-to-back base hits. A fielding error by the second baseman off the bat of DiCarloallowed the second run of the day to score. With one out, Febrey drove in Milz to widen the Bulldog lead after three innings, 3-0.
Tennessee produced a one-out, bases-loaded situation in the top of the fourth but the Bulldogs worked out of the jam unscathed to preserve the shutout.
The Lady Vols touched home in the top of the fifth, cutting Georgia's lead to two, 3-1.
Tennessee scratched another run across in the top of the sixth, slicing Georgia's lead to one, 3-2. Entering in the sixth, Bass stranded two Lady Vols on to preserve the lead.
Georgia broke the game open in the home half of the sixth. With two on and one out, Bryan ripped her team-leading fifth triple to right center, plating both runs. Bryan immediately touched home on a double to the wall in left center off the bat of Milz, 6-2 Bulldogs going to the seventh.
Bass retired the Lady Vols in order in the seventh to secure the series-opening win.
Tennessee 7, Goeorgia 6
At the plate for the Bulldogs in game two, Bryan added two more hits while DiCarlo also had two of her own to co-lead the Georgia offense. Tyler Armistead and O'Neal each blasted home runs in the second game of the day.
Mary Wilson Avant worked two innings in her start, surrendering five runs on seven hits. Madison McPherson (1-1) entered in relief in the third, working the next four complete innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Lauren Mathis pitched the seventh inning for Georgia.
After two strikeouts by Avant to start the game, Tennessee's Haley Bearden hit a solo home run in the first to capture an early 1-0 lead.
An RBI single by Bearden in the third doubled the lead to 2-0. Chelsea Seggern then followed with a three-run home run to put Tennessee ahead 5-0 in the third.
A sac fly to right by DiCarlo scored Armisteadin the third to put the Bulldogs on the board, 5-1.
A two-out fielding error by Milz extended the inning and allowed Tennessee to touch home in the top of the fourth, 6-1 Lady Vols.
O'Neal cranked her fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot, to centerfield in the bottom of the inning to cut Tennessee's lead to 6-3 and break up the Lady Vols' no-hit bid.
With runners in scoring position, Febrey flew out to center, allowing Bryan to tag up and score from third. With DiCarlo standing on second, the first baseman couldn't handle a ball off the bat of Lacey Fincher, allowing DiCarlo to cross home, cutting the Tennessee lead to a single run after five, 6-5.
Armistead tied the game with a two-out solo home run, her second of the season and of the week, in the bottom of the sixth, 6-6.
The tied game was short lived as Bearden sent the first pitch of the seventh over the wall in right to reclaim the lead for Tennessee, 7-6.
DiCarlo and Febrey recorded singles to reach in the bottom of the inning. A groundout moved both runners into scoring position. Sikes was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. O'Neal lined into a 6-3 double play to end the game, splitting the doubleheader.
Georgia and Tennessee will face off in the series finale Sunday at Jack Turner Stadium. Sunday's 2 p.m. game will air nationally on ESPN 2.
Georgia head coach Lu Harris-Champer
On start of games one and two…
"They are two different games, when the first game is over it is not a continuation, both teams make adjustments. I thought Tennessee made some adjustments [in game two], they came out swinging early in the count unlike in the first game."
On the comeback…
"It goes back to the heart of the team. I am really proud of the offense, the way they kept fighting up there to get good pitches to hit. I liked our ability to work deep in the count and continue spoiling pitches until we got one we wanted. I'm really proud of the offensive attack, I thought Ciara Bryan was amazing today. A lot of good hitting up and down the line, Alysen Febrey really hit well. Mahlena O'Neal had two RBI in the first game and that last at bat, if it is two feet the other way we walk it off."
On coming back in game two…
"It doesn't matter until it is over. That is why you keep fighting all game long."
Looking ahead to tomorrow…
"Come out and play Georgia softball. Just compete, pass the bat, have good defense and pitching. When we get out there and band together and fight, there are a lot of good things that happen for us."
Ciara Bryan tallied four hits on the day while Alysen Febrey and Alyssa DiCarlo each scattered three in the twin bill.
Georgia 6, Tennessee 2
The Bulldogs opened Saturday's doubleheader with a 6-2 victory over the Lady Vols. It was Georgia's fifth-straight win over Tennessee. The win was also Lu Harris-Champer's 300th-career Southeastern Conference win, the second-most in SEC softball history behind Alabama's Patrick Murphy.
Alley Cutting (8-4) pitched five and a third innings in her win in the circle, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out three batters. Kylie Bass picked up her first save of the season, finishing the game and working one and two-thirds innings.
At the plate, Georgia outhit Tennessee 8-7. A trio of Bulldogs recorded two hits including Justice Milz, Bryan, and Febrey. Bryan recorded two RBI with a triple in the sixth inning.
Febreyled off the bottom of the second with a double down the right field line then was bunted to third by Mahlena O'Neal. Savana Sikesdrove in Febrey with a single to left, giving Georgia a 1-0 lead.
The bottom of third inning began with back-to-back base hits. A fielding error by the second baseman off the bat of DiCarloallowed the second run of the day to score. With one out, Febrey drove in Milz to widen the Bulldog lead after three innings, 3-0.
Tennessee produced a one-out, bases-loaded situation in the top of the fourth but the Bulldogs worked out of the jam unscathed to preserve the shutout.
The Lady Vols touched home in the top of the fifth, cutting Georgia's lead to two, 3-1.
Tennessee scratched another run across in the top of the sixth, slicing Georgia's lead to one, 3-2. Entering in the sixth, Bass stranded two Lady Vols on to preserve the lead.
Georgia broke the game open in the home half of the sixth. With two on and one out, Bryan ripped her team-leading fifth triple to right center, plating both runs. Bryan immediately touched home on a double to the wall in left center off the bat of Milz, 6-2 Bulldogs going to the seventh.
Bass retired the Lady Vols in order in the seventh to secure the series-opening win.
Tennessee 7, Goeorgia 6
At the plate for the Bulldogs in game two, Bryan added two more hits while DiCarlo also had two of her own to co-lead the Georgia offense. Tyler Armistead and O'Neal each blasted home runs in the second game of the day.
Mary Wilson Avant worked two innings in her start, surrendering five runs on seven hits. Madison McPherson (1-1) entered in relief in the third, working the next four complete innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Lauren Mathis pitched the seventh inning for Georgia.
After two strikeouts by Avant to start the game, Tennessee's Haley Bearden hit a solo home run in the first to capture an early 1-0 lead.
An RBI single by Bearden in the third doubled the lead to 2-0. Chelsea Seggern then followed with a three-run home run to put Tennessee ahead 5-0 in the third.
A sac fly to right by DiCarlo scored Armisteadin the third to put the Bulldogs on the board, 5-1.
A two-out fielding error by Milz extended the inning and allowed Tennessee to touch home in the top of the fourth, 6-1 Lady Vols.
O'Neal cranked her fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot, to centerfield in the bottom of the inning to cut Tennessee's lead to 6-3 and break up the Lady Vols' no-hit bid.
With runners in scoring position, Febrey flew out to center, allowing Bryan to tag up and score from third. With DiCarlo standing on second, the first baseman couldn't handle a ball off the bat of Lacey Fincher, allowing DiCarlo to cross home, cutting the Tennessee lead to a single run after five, 6-5.
Armistead tied the game with a two-out solo home run, her second of the season and of the week, in the bottom of the sixth, 6-6.
The tied game was short lived as Bearden sent the first pitch of the seventh over the wall in right to reclaim the lead for Tennessee, 7-6.
DiCarlo and Febrey recorded singles to reach in the bottom of the inning. A groundout moved both runners into scoring position. Sikes was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. O'Neal lined into a 6-3 double play to end the game, splitting the doubleheader.
Georgia and Tennessee will face off in the series finale Sunday at Jack Turner Stadium. Sunday's 2 p.m. game will air nationally on ESPN 2.
Georgia head coach Lu Harris-Champer
On start of games one and two…
"They are two different games, when the first game is over it is not a continuation, both teams make adjustments. I thought Tennessee made some adjustments [in game two], they came out swinging early in the count unlike in the first game."
On the comeback…
"It goes back to the heart of the team. I am really proud of the offense, the way they kept fighting up there to get good pitches to hit. I liked our ability to work deep in the count and continue spoiling pitches until we got one we wanted. I'm really proud of the offensive attack, I thought Ciara Bryan was amazing today. A lot of good hitting up and down the line, Alysen Febrey really hit well. Mahlena O'Neal had two RBI in the first game and that last at bat, if it is two feet the other way we walk it off."
On coming back in game two…
"It doesn't matter until it is over. That is why you keep fighting all game long."
Looking ahead to tomorrow…
"Come out and play Georgia softball. Just compete, pass the bat, have good defense and pitching. When we get out there and band together and fight, there are a lot of good things that happen for us."
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ashley Rogers (17-3)
L: McPherson, Madison (1-1)
S: Caylan Arnold (1)
Batting:
2B: Chelsea Seggern 1
HR: Haley Bearden 2 ; Chelsea Seggern 1
RBI: Haley Bearden 3 ; Chelsea Seggern 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Aubrey Leach 2 ; Kaitlin Parsons 1 ; Haley Bearden 3 ; Chelsea Seggern 1
SB: Aubrey Leach 1 ; Kaitlin Parsons 1 ; Haley Bearden 1
Batting:
HR: O'Neal, Mahlena 1 ; Armistead, Tyler 1
RBI: DiCarlo, Alyssa 1 ; Febrey, Alysen 1 ; O'Neal, Mahlena 2 ; Armistead, Tyler 1
SH: Milz, Justice 1
SF: DiCarlo, Alyssa 1 ; Febrey, Alysen 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bryan, Ciara 1 ; DiCarlo, Alyssa 1 ; Fincher, Lacey 1 ; O'Neal, Mahlena 1 ; Armistead, Tyler 2
HBP: Bryan, Ciara 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
UT
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
LHP
/ SoftballOF/IF
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballIF
/ SoftballIF/OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
IF
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